Belichick doesn’t rule out Vick

FOXBOROUGH – Asked directly about the organization’s interest level in Michael Vick, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said no decision has been made.

“Have we ruled it out? I don’t know that it’s ruled in or ruled out,” Belichick said. “I don’t think it’s ever been put that way so I couldn’t really answer that.”

Belichick then proceeded to outline his philosophy on all NFL free agents, including Vick. “If we need somebody and we feel that player can help our team, and puts us in a better situation than what we have, then we’ll do it. If we don’t, we won’t.”

Vick, who served 23 months on federal dog fighting charges, said on Thursday that he is “close” to signing with an NFL team.

“I’m coaching the players that are here on this team, that’s what I’m doing,” Belichick said. “I’m not coaching anybody else. I’m sure at some point, somebody else will be here. I don’t know who that’s going to be. I can’t tell you that. If I knew, they’d already be here.”

Belichick concluded his thoughts on Vick by keeping all possibilities in the mix.

“We’re coaching the players that we have on the field right now, so that’s who’s here,” he said. “So, anybody who isn’t here, is there a potential that they could be here? Yeah, there probably is but right now they’re not. We’re coaching the 80 players who are here. Until we get somebody else, we’re coaching them.

“If we get somebody else in here, which I’m sure at some point we will, then we’ll coach them and the players that are here. So, who all that’s going to be, right now, it’s the 80 players that are here. That’s all I can tell you.”